New Riedel glassware marks 50 years of the Sommeliers series

(Image credit: Courtesy of Riedel)

published 16 December 2023

The latest ‘Supperleggero’ Riedel glassware collection is the company’s machine-made homage to its handmade ‘Sommeliers’ series, first introduced in 1973.

Riedel has been elevating the dining experience since the company was founded in Bohemia in 1756, and its landmark ‘Sommeliers’ collection featured glasses shaped specifically to enhance the taste of wine. In the 1980s, the company went on to revolutionise the glassware-making process by developing machinery to replicate the intricacy of a handmade collection.

Superleggero honours landmark Riedel glassware

Riedel wine glasses — The ‘Sommeliers’ collection

Marking the 50th anniversary of ‘Sommeliers’, Riedel has reintroduced its shapes in machine-made form with the new ‘Superleggero’ collection. Back in 2015, a handmade series of the same name by Maximillian J Riedel, the company’s 11th-generation CEO and president, built on the qualities of the ‘Sommeliers’ series. Now, the latest ‘Superleggera’ collection sets a new benchmark for machine-made glassware.

Maximilian was responsible for the unprecedented move into machine manufacturing that achieves the same quality as hand-blown glass. The machine-made ‘Superleggero’ glasses offer the same calibre as handmade versions, with intricately thin glass, long stems, and Sommeliers’ iconic egg-shaped bowl design.

Coloured crystal glasses — Riedel Laudon glassware, part of its tumbler collection

Riedel was the first company to recognise that the taste and aroma of a selected drink are affected by the shape of the glass, and has become a go-to choice for the connoisseur. The machine-made ‘Superleggero’ glasses represent a natural next step in the company’s quest to enhance the drinking experience, and are crafted at its factory in Weiden, Germany.

riedel.com

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Tianna Williams is Wallpaper’s staff writer. When she isn’t writing extensively across varying content pillars, ranging from design and architecture to travel and art, she also helps put together the daily newsletter. She enjoys speaking to emerging artists, designers and architects, writing about gorgeously designed houses and restaurants, and day-dreaming about her next travel destination.